Galaxies and Oceans

Written by N. R. Walker

Narrated by Joel Leslie

Seizing his one chance to escape, Ethan Hosking leaves his violent ex-boyfriend, leaves his entire life, and walks into the path of a raging bushfire. Desperate to start over, a new man named Aubrey Hobbs walks out of the fire-ravaged forest, alive and alone. With no ID and no money, nothing but his grandfather's telescope, he goes where the Southern Cross leads him.

Patrick Carney is the resident lighthouse keeper in Hadley Cove, a small town on the remote Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia. After the tragic death of his lover four years ago, he lives a solitary life; just him, a tabby cat, the Indian and Southern Oceans, and a whole lot of loneliness. He's content with his life until a stranger shows up in town and turns Patrick's head.

Patrick never expected to be interested in anyone else.

Aubrey never expected to be happy.

Between Aubrey's love of the stars and Patrick's love of the ocean, these two fragile hearts must navigate new waters. If they can weather the storm of their pasts, they could very well have a love that eclipses everything.

Contains mature themes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Aug 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781494535681

N. R. Walker

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don't let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love.She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.She's been writing ever since...

Reviews for Galaxies and Oceans

[Kat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book a lot, but it was tempered by the repetitiveness.

[Audrey T · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really intense. Really beautiful. I was torn between loving every minute and being on the edge of my seat with worry for Aubrey.

[Dan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oi. This book was maybe one of my favorite N.R. Walker stories. It was emotional and gutting but sweet in the end. The absolute truth is that Walker wholly encompassed surviving abuse. About the trauma and the aftermath and the resurrection and the self-preservation after absolute desperation and hopelessness...after being reduced to nothing by one person. This could serve as a trigger warning but it wasn't anything but validating somehow. Walker has a way with words that make me want to highlight lines and save them. Her books aren't always deep and compelling but she has a way with creating depth of character, which is a skill that not all successful writers have. Joel Leslie narrates many of her audio books and I listen to him often. I do like his ability to do accents and switch characters. I find it's easier on my brain if I listen on 1.5speed.

[Noemi Gonzalez Oliva · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. It was one of the most beautiful books I have read (listened to) in many years. The author deals with the topic of abuse within a relationship, the trauma etc. in a very authentic, heart wrenching way. I loved the characters, the setting, the HEA and will not forget it for a long time. As usual, Joel Leslie was fantastic. I could listen to him reading forever!

[Tamara · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was classic N.R. Walker - lots of fluff and insta-love. Sometimes her formula works for me, and sometimes it doesn't. This time it was something in between.

I was almost bored by the romance itself. It was mostly the MCs doing the most mundane stuff and making eyes at each other. Had there been some UST before that, or maybe if I was made to love the characters more, I probably wouldn't have been so uninterested in the couple.
What mostly held my attention and kept me listening was the anticipation of seeing Aubrey's past resolved - and when the moment came I wasn't really satisfied as it was mostly off-page.

The audio was actually okay. Joel Leslie isn't my favorite narrator, but there were no non-English accents involved so I managed to enjoy the audio.

There was also a technical issue with the audio - in every chapter the last 2-3 seconds and the last word in the chapter were abruptly cut off. It was easy enough to infer what the word was, but it was still jarring enough to take me out of the story.

Final verdict: 2.5 stars

[Noah K · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was pretty good right up until the ending. It felt like they forgot there was a plot they needed to conclude and phoned it in at the last minute, rushing the entire thing. I was looking forward to when the other shoe would drop, but it was a very disappointing experience after so much buildup.

[steven jefferies · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book, easy to fall deep into an audio world,

[MiguelCesarNogueda · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love it, it Isela a great audio Book to listen, if you are a románticos person, you should listen to it, you won`t regret it.

[carol420 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thus far I have not ever been disappointed in anything this author has written and this story is certainly not an exception. It speaks about two lost men finding their way in uncharted waters following the stars. Aubrey escapes his past and his abusive ex by pretending to be lost to a bushfire. He follows the stars to a secluded island, to a small town to settle in peace. He just wants a life without pain and maybe a small chance at happiness. Now we have Patrick who lives in that same small town. He's lived there for years now tending to the lighthouse on the shore of the Southern Ocean. His solitary life is lonely and sad...spent grieving a man he has lost forever. But now he starts to feel things he hadn't felt in a long time when a stranger shows up in his town. The two broken men in this story find peace, redemption, and happiness in each other. It is beautifully written how they work through their baggage of past traumas to open up to something rather beautiful and pure. The small gestures, the slow but powerful pace of their falling for each other was simple but all-consuming at once. There is something beautiful in the simplicity of this normalcy.

[shazov-133293 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

They say slow and steady will win a race. Well in this case, I'm sure they're right. This is definitely a slow burn. A slow build towards a lasting romance with neither MC racing to any finishing line. While that might sound boring, in fact it's the opposite as far as I'm concerned.

Neither MC is completely sure. Aubrey is keeping secrets which holds him back. Patrick has never finished grieving for his partner lost at sea. Yet both men are constantly drawn to each other and their relationship grows steadily.

It was a beautiful thing to be a part of; watching their romance grow and blossom. And in true N.R. Walker style you are never left wanting or needing more.